All you people who thought that holding these winter games was a good idea pee me off! Now the home owners will be held ransom to the tune of 6% every year for four years. The people who were dead set against this should not have to pay one red penny towards it. This city is spending my house into hardship. Do you think that the city will then lower the taxes after that? Hardly! This city has the highest taxes in BC! I am tired of my house taxes being raised every year. 300 dollars a month to the city is criminal. This has got to stop along with the spending spree. The city is 111 million dollars in debt and refuse to stop SPENDING our money on things WE DO NOT NEED in a time of hardship. In the end our roads are still a mess, snow removal sucks and it still stinks.

Another huge waste of tax payer dollars. Need some money just go to the home owner well. It is bottomless, or you would think Rodgers and council think so. Why wasn't this potential tax increase brought up at the time of the bid for the games?
Just think, if the PG Hotel had not been purchased along with some of the other derelict properties downtown some of the budget shortfall could have been covered.
To turn to the homeowner and expect them to absorb another tax increase is just not justifiable.
As per the previous poster, let those who were on the rah, rah, team pick up the tab because I just can't afford Rodger's grand scheme of things any longer.
We need a Rob Ford to step forward and get spending and city hall under control.

"This city has the highest taxes in BC!"

NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!! It is number 64 with all other cities larger than PG, with the exception of Chilliwack, having higher taxes!!!!!

"We need a Rob Ford to step forward"

LOL ... we did ... several individuals were voted in on that same platform. Look at where they are now!!!!!

I think there is a good chance that Rob Ford will end up exactly the same. The proof is in the pudding ... not in the hype!

Well Gus, I would rather have a Rob Ford step forward and make an effort to get city hall and spending under control than re-elect the group of overwhelmingly underachievers presently occupying the mayor's chair and council seats.

Just look at the present day white elephants. An expanded runway at the airport and no planes landing, boundary road, community energy system, winter games, IPG, PG Hotel purchase along with all the other properties downtown. "SPEND" seems to be the only word in the present council's vocabulary.

Can't wait for the Winter Games!! They will be worth every penny we spend!!

At least the GAMES are aptly named. Thats what they are. GAMES being played on tax payers dollars. Most of them are about as exciting as watching paint dry.

A bunch of atheletes their families, managers, and the Government paid entourage comes to town for 2 weeks and has a hell of a good time on our dollar. In the meantime people who usually come to town from the outlying areas will not be able to get hotel rooms etc; and we will lose their money, so who knows how much will actually be made by the local business's. Throw in the cost for the local infrastructure etc, and we will end up with a net loss.

How many people will come to Prince George to watch the games in the middle of February in the middle of the wilderness, 500 miles from any major city????

I would say about the same number of people will come to Prince George, as there were Prince George people who went to Whitehorse, or Grande Prairie. Start with NONE and go down from there.

So the big influx will be the atheletes, managers and hangers on approx 6000 in all. And thats it folks. Have fun.

Ford looks to me just like another right wing blowhard. So let's see if he can lead by action rather than by his loud mouth.

I have lived in Toronto for 10+ years, so know a bit about the way politics work in that city as well as what the city is up against when it comes to the costs of running a city that size.

The system of government has changed at least three times there in the last 50 years.

here is one part of a dialogue that happened this morning:

"Mr. Ford mentions contracting out city jobs and stopping the "gravy train" at city hall. It seems to me that hiring 100 new police officers is the feeding the so called gravy train. The crime rate is going down while demand for every other city service has increased. The police represent 25% of the city budget and if he is serious about cost cutting then why doesn't he look at contracting out simple police services instead of increasing costs by hiring 100 new officers?"

This is the REAL Ford ...... ??!!! Looks like he has caught the reality show blues.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/city-votes/city-votes-news/live-chat-on-rob-ford-and-the-future-of-toronto/article1772911

Why do we keep comparing tax cost with cities larger than PG. How about a little comparison with Quesnel, Williams Lake, Vanderhoof, and McKenzie. All are in close proximity to PG and the climate is comparable.
Let's see what the tax per thousand of assessed value works out to. Comparing PG to North Van is hardly a fair evaluation of taxes paid.

hate to be the one to break it to ya' Municca but the smell of PG has nothing to do w/ taxes or the city, it's the industry we have here. but rest assure that this smell is somehting that will be getting better in the next year or so as the mills have just spent millions of $$'s (not your precious tax $$$'s either) on improving this. As for the pot holes it's the price of living in the north...all northern communities/ciites suffer from thsi due to the cold temps in the winter. I'm happy that my tax money is going towards to something worth while like the winter games...I apologize if this pisses you off.

Shesmiles. I believe taxpayers money is being used for the upgrades at the pulpmills. Not sure on all the details but there are government grants involved. That being said I'm glad the work is being done.

Your right Boomer. Northwood will be getting something in the area of $212 Million in grants from the Feds. This has to do with the Black Liquor grants given to US Pulp and Paper Mills.

The money has to be spent of upgrades to the mill that will improve air quality, and must be spent by 2012.

Gus: I lived in TO as well and since then they have swallowed up a whole lot of townships into their control (just like PG did in 74). That is why TO and PG have a problem. It is too big to service and demands a lot more beaurocrats. Stay small and stay happy is my motto.

Upgrades to the mill are not the citys business even though they are a problem for us. That`s totally the cost of being a corporate giant and in no way should we be paying for that. That is a private enterprise and just like buying old buildings, the city should get the hell out of tis habit.